Laminate flooring usually comprises rectangular floor panels with a core of a 6-12 mm fibreboard, a 0.2-0.8 mm thick upper decorative surface layer of laminate and a 0.1-0.6 mm thick lower balancing layer of laminate, plastic, paper or like material. A laminate surface may comprise a printed melamine impregnated paper, which is pressed with an embossed sheet. The most common core material is fibreboard with high density and good stability usually called HDF—High Density Fibreboard. Sometimes also MDF—Medium Density Fibreboard—is used as core.
Traditional laminate floor panels of this type have taken a large market share mainly due to the fact that advanced printing and pressing technology has made it possible to make very natural copies of mainly wood parquet floorings. Laminate floorings look like wood, but are more durable and less expensive than wood floorings.
In addition to such traditional floors, which have been installed with a tongue and groove joint and with glue, floor panels have been developed which do not require the use of glue and instead are joined mechanically by means of so called mechanical locking systems.
These systems comprise locking means, which lock the panels horizontally and vertically. The mechanical locking systems are usually formed by machining of the core of the panel. Alternatively, parts of the locking system can be formed of a separate material, for instance aluminium or HDF, which is integrated with the floor panel, i.e. joined with the floor panel in connection with the manufacture thereof.
The main advantages of floating floors with mechanical locking systems are that they are easy to install. They can also easily be taken up again and used once more at a different location.